Locking mechanism



E. L. BOLAND LOCKING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 27, 1938 ii; z i ii Sept. 26, 1939.

INVENTOR LA N0.

ATTORNEYS.,

EARL L. 50 BY M Patented Sept. 26, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOOKING MECHANISM a corporation of Ohio Application January 27, 1938, Serial No. 187,237

Claims.

This invention relates to locking mechanisms for upright cabinets and more particularly to the location of the lock and the method. of

V locking.

Conventional locking mechanisms for upright cabinets always involve parts protruding at the front of the cabinet which, for various reasons, are considered to be objectionable. It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a novel locking mechanism in which the operating handle is recessed in the front of the door so as to be flush with the front surface of the door. It is another object of my invention to provide a locking device in which the lock itself when locked is also flush with the front of the cabinet. Other objects of my invention include the provision of a locking mechanism as above outlined, which is simple in construction and operation and which may be cheaply manufactured, but which will yet be durable in'use. These and other objects of my invention, I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts of which I shall now describe an exemplary embodiment.

Reference is now made to the drawing forming a part hereof and in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a cabinet provided with a locking mechanism according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view of the upper left hand corner of the cabinet of Figure l, with parts broken away to show the construction of the hidden parts.

Briefly in the practice of my invention, I provide an operating shaft ll] mounted in a sleeve II, which is fixed in an aperture in a recessed portion l2 of the door 13. Pinned to the front end of the shaft II] is an operating handle l4 which, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, swings to a vertical position within the recessed portion [2 so as not to protrude beyond the door l3. For use it will be understood that the handle member I4 may be swung outwardly about the pivot point l5.

The other end of the shaft [0 is provided with a squared portion l6, upon which is mounted a lever member ll. This member may be held in position by means of a washer l8 and screw 19 in the end of the shaft I0.

The member I1 is bent to fit behind the recessed portion 12, so that the end portions of the member ll are in a plane forwardly of the recessed portion as indicated generally at 20 in,

Fig. 2. To these forwardly extended portions 20 are pivoted at the point 2|, the locking rods 22 and 23, which have upper and lower bearings respectively in brackets 24 and 25, which are fastened to the inside of the door [3 in any desired manner. It will be understood'that the rod 23 may be bent as indicated at 23a. and 23b so as to bring the operative end of the rod 23 opposite the operative end of the rod 22. The rods 22 and 23 respectively pass through apertures in upper and lower walls 26 and 26a respectively to maintain the door in closed position as indicated in Figure 1. i

In Fig. 3 I have shown in more detail the mechanism for locking the rods 22 and 23 in closed position.

Referring now to Fig. 3, I have indicated at the upper corner of the cabinet a plate 21 which may be fastened in any desirable manner as for example, by welding, to an inturned flange 28 of m the top member 29. A portion 30 of the plate 21 is bent upwardly and another portion 3| is bent parallel to the plane of the plate, whereby said plate may further be fastened to the member 29.

To the rear of the member 30 there is provided a 25 bracket 32 which is fastened in any desired manner to the member 29 and is provided with a slot 33 which forms a bearing for the bar 34. The bar 34 has a forward bearing in a corresponding slot 35 in the portion 30. The forward end of the bar 34 is pinned as at 36 to the rear end of a cylinder lock member 31, which has its front bearing in an annular flange 38 in the vertical portion 39 of the top member 29. Also fastened to the member 29 on the underside is a dog 40 "35 which serves as an abutment for the bolt 4| of the look. A spring member 42 fastened to the end of the bar 34 as at 43 and to the bracket 32 as at 44 serves to urge said bar, and therewith the lock member 31, in a forward direction. 40 When locked, of .course, the bolt 4| bearing against the dog 40 prevents the look from springing outwardly. It will be noted that the front of the lock member 31 is flush with the portion 39. It will be understood that when the lock is 4.5 unlocked, thereby withdrawing the bolt 4|, the spring 42 will urge the entire assembly 34, 31 forwardly.

Pivoted to the member 21 as at 45, is a bell crank member 46 havingarms Hand 48. Stop 50 pins 46a and 46b limit the motion of the member 46. The arm 41 is provided with an upturned flange portion 49 against which a pin. or screw 5|] in the member 34 is adapted. to abut. The rod 22 is provided adjacent its upper end, with a slot 5 5| into which the arm 48 may enter when the rod 22 is in looking position. It will now be clear that when the lock is unlocked so that the rod 34 springs forwardly, the pin or screw 50 abutting against the flange 49 will cause the bell crank 46 to oscillate slightly in a clockwise direction (limited, of course, by the stop pin 460:) so that the arm 48 will be Withdrawn from the slot 5| and the cabinet may be opened.

52 is a spring which is fastened as at 53 to the bar 34 and at 54 to the flange 49, so that when the lock is looked as by pushing in on the member 31 until the bolt 4| springs up behind the dog 40, the spring 52 will cause the bell crank 46 to be urged in a counter-clockwise direction against stop pin 46b, so that the arm 48 at least partially covers the aperture 210. through which the rod 22 is adapted to pass. It will be noted that the rod 22 at its upper end is provided with a beveled portion 22a, so that when the rod 22 is urged upwardly the portion 22a will act as a cam surface and cause the member 46 to be oscillated in a clockwise direction against the tension of the spring 52 until the member 48 may enter the slot 5|.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a construction in which there are no protruding parts at the front of the cabinet in that the handle member I4 is recessed to leave a flush surface and the lock member 31 in locked position is also flush with the front of the cabinet. It will, of course, be understood that modifications may be made in my'invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and I therefore do not intend to limit myself except as pointed out in the claims which follow.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a locking device for an article having a wall member and a door member and having a bolt slidably mounted on one of said members, said bolt being adapted to enter an opening in the other of said members for the purpose of latching said door to said wall, mechanism for locking said bolt in position, said mechanism including a cylinder lock having a bolt, and slidably mounted in the said other member, means urging said lock forwardly, abutment means cooperating with the bolt of said lock and disposed to maintain the front end of said lock flush with the face of said other member when said lock bolt is in operative position, a lever adapted to have locking engagement with said first mentioned bolt and spring-urged to locking position, and abutment means for causing disengaging movement of said lever upon forward movement of said lock.

2. In a locking device for an article having a wall member and a door member and having a bolt slidably mounted on one of said members, said bolt being adapted to enter an opening in the other of said members for the purpose of latching said door to said wall, a pivoted member adapted in one position to have locking engagement with said bolt and in another position to clear said bolt, a key actuated element slidably mounted in the said other member and springurged to a forward position, said element when locked in its rear position being flush with the face of said other member, and means operative upon forward movement of said element to cause oscillation of said pivoted member to clear position.

3. In a locking device for an article having a Wall member and a door member, and having a bolt slidably mounted on one of said members, said bolt being adapted to enter an opening in the other of said members for the purpose of latching said door to said walls, a pivoted member adapted in one position to have locking engagement with said bolt and in another position to clear said bolt, a key actuated element slidably mounted in the said other member and spring-urged to a forward position, said element when locked in its rear position being flush with the face of said other member, connecting means between said element and said pivoted member for causing said pivoted membr to move to clear position upon forward movement of said element, and resilient means for causing said pivoted member to move to locking position upon rearward movement of said element, and permitting clearing movement of said pivoted member when said element is in its rear position.

4. In a locking device for an article having a wall member and a door member, and having a bolt slidably mounted on one of said members, said bolt being adapted to enter an opening in the other of said members for the purpose of latching said door to said wall, a pivoted member adapted in one position to have locking engagement with said bolt and in another position to clear said bolt, a key actuated element slidably mounted in the said other member and springurged to a forward position, said element when locked in its rear position being flushwith the face of said other member, positive means for causing clearing movement of said pivoted member upon forward movement of said element, and resilient means for causing locking movement of said pivoted member upon rearward movement of said element.

5. In a locking device for an article having a wall member and a door member, and having a bolt slidably mounted on one of said members, said bolt being adapted to enter an opening in the other of said members for the purpose of latching said door to said wall, a pivoted member adapted in one position to have locking engagement with said bolt and in another position to clear said bolt, a key actuated element slidably mounted in the said other member and spring urged to a forward position, said element when locked in its rear position being flush with the face of said other member, an actuating member attached to said element, an abutment on said actuating member, an abutment on said pivoted member, said abutments arranged to produce clearing movement of said pivoted member upon forward movement of said element, and a resilient connection between said pivoted and actuating members for producing locking movement of said pivoted member upon rearward movement of said element, said resilient connection permitting clearing movement of said pivoted member independently of forward movement of said element.

EARL L. BOLAND. 

